U.S. media reports have revealed a step taken by the State Department late last year to terminate the assignment of a senior Iranian diplomat at his country’s mission to the United Nations, as part of measures described as sensitive and linked to national security.
According to informed sources, the decision affected Iran’s deputy ambassador, Saadat Aghajani, who was asked to leave U.S. territory immediately in December through an internal administrative mechanism known as “Article 13 procedures.”
This mechanism is typically used to avoid diplomatic escalation or a formal declaration of a person as “persona non grata.”
The information indicates that this move was not isolated. Similar measures had reportedly been taken against a number of Iranian diplomats in New York in recent months, as part of heightened U.S. scrutiny of the activities of Iran’s mission to the United Nations.
Although no public accusations were made, the data suggests that such steps are employed in cases where there are suspicions of activities potentially conflicting with U.S.
national security interests. Sources also noted that U.S. authorities later requested the diplomat’s family members to leave the country after remaining for a period following the decision’s implementation.
In a related context, Washington had previously imposed movement restrictions on Iranian diplomats, limiting their travel to a narrow geographic area within New York City, following repeated violations of these regulations.
For their part, both the U.S. State Department and Iran’s mission to the United Nations declined to provide further details, stating only that such measures are subject to privacy and security considerations and are not typically discussed publicly.
